Chapter 17 - Ghosts of the Past
Peace,
however,
is a fragile thing for men who spent decades building empires on blood and concrete.
It was a rainy Tuesday afternoon when a sleek black sedan pulled up the gravel driveway of their secluded Oregon home.
Daniel froze,
his coffee mug halfway to his mouth,
as he watched the vehicle come to a complete stop near the porch.
Claire noticed the sudden tension in his shoulders,
her own breath catching in her throat as she instinctively pulled their daughter closer.
"Daniel?"
she whispered,
fear flickering back into her eyes.
"Stay inside,"
he instructed calmly,
setting his mug down on the counter.
He walked slowly toward the front door,
his instincts flaring up after months of dormancy.
The car door opened,
and an elderly man in a gray trench coat stepped out,
shielding himself from the rain with a black umbrella.
It wasn't an assassin or a rival mobster.
It was retired federal judge Arthur Vance,
the man who had overseen Daniel's plea agreement and relocation.
Daniel unlocked the front door and stepped out onto the porch,
closing it firmly behind him to keep his family shielded.
"Judge Vance,"
Daniel greeted him coldly,
his eyes narrowing.
"What brings you all the way to Oregon?"
The elderly judge stepped up onto the porch,
shaking the rain off his umbrella before looking Daniel dead in the eye.
"I am not here to cause trouble,
Mr.
Carter,"
Vance said quietly.
"I am here to deliver a warning."
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"About what?"
"Remnants of your old syndicate in Chicago are attempting to regroup under new leadership,"
Vance explained grimly.
"And they are hunting for the offshore accounts you surrendered to the government."
Daniel let out a cold,
dangerous laugh,
shaking his head.
"Let them hunt.
Those accounts are locked behind federal vaults that even I cannot touch."
"They believe the access keys were memorized by someone close to you,"
Vance added significantly.
"They believe Claire has them."
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Daniel's blood ran cold,
the brief illusion of total safety shattering instantly as he realized his family was still in the crosshairs.
